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Operation Libelle
Germany |combatant2= Albanian Insurgents |commander1= Oberst Henning Glawatz |commander2= Unknown |strength1=> about 100 men |strength2=Unknown |casualties1=No casualties 1 helicopter damaged |casualties2=Unknown number of insurgents wounded No reported deaths }} Operation Libelle ("Dragonfly" in German) was an evacuation operation of the German Armed Forces that took place on March 14, 1997 in the Albanian capital of Tirana. In the same week, American, British,Roberts, John (2009). Safeguarding the Nation: The Story of the Modern Royal Navy, 352pp, Seaforth Publishing, and Italian military forces evacuated their citizens from Albania. Operation Libelle was the first time since World War II that German infantry fired shots in combat.RP Online Situation in Albania In early 1997, riots spread across Albania after the collapse of major pyramid schemes drove the country into a serious economic and social crisis, culminating in the Albanian Civil War. After army and police armories were looted by insurgents, criminals, and civilians, large parts of the country descended into chaos and violence. On March 11 all foreign nationals were instructed to leave Albania; Italian and U.S. forces conducted initial evacuation operations. By midday of March 13 the widespread disorder made leaving the country by conventional means nearly impossible. With nowhere to go dozens of people fled to the German embassy, which had not yet evacuated. Timeline March 13 * On the eve of the operation, the German Minister of Defence, Volker Rühe, decided to reduce the reaction time of German Forces in case of emergency in Albania and ordered the frigate ''Niedersachsen'' to enter Albanian waters. March 14 *Five CH-53G heavy transport helicopters with 89 soldiers from the German SFOR contingent headed from Bosnia to Dubrovnik, Croatia. At the same time in Germany, three C-160 transport planes had been held in readiness to fly to the Balkans. The Niedersachsen waited in readiness in the port of Durrës, Albania. * 11.30 am - The German Government under Chancellor Helmut Kohl decided to deploy German Forces to evacuate the embassy. Because the German military cannot operate abroad without a permission of the German Parliament, the Government employed emergency rules and only informed the leaders of the parliament and the Defence Committee about the planned operation. The C-160s flew to Podgorica, Montenegro. The task force, consisting of CH-53s and soldiers from combat, supporting, and medical units, lifted off to Tirana. * 3.39 pm - Although American Forces had cancelled a separate evacuation operation in Tirana after a Blackhawk helicopter was hit by small arms fire, Colonel Glawatz decided to continue the approach. The first CH-53 landed on an abandoned airfield near the outskirts of Tirana. Perimeter security was established and the civilians started to board the helicopters. Insurgents in armoured vehicles approached the area and attacked the escaping civilians. As the German units returned fire, additional gunmen opened fire from the edge of the air strip. At least 188 rounds were fired at the evacuation force, and one CH-53 helicopter was hit and lightly damaged.[http://www.rp-online.de/public/article/aktuelles/politik/deutschland/hintergrund/417415 Operation "Libelle" Tirana '97: Das erste Gefecht der Bundeswehr] RP Online, 14 March 2007 At least one Albanian was wounded.Laurin, Carin (2005). Baltic Yearbook of International Law, 2005. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, p. 71. * 4.09 pm - the last helicopter left Tirana. * The helicopters returned to Montenegro with the refugees after the successful end of the operation; they were then transported to Germany. List of evacuated persons External links * [http://www.bw-flyer.de/neu/helikopter/ch53/ch53/ch53.htm Details about the helicopters used] Category:Albanian Civil War Category:Conflicts in 1997 Libelle Category:1997 in Albania Category:Modern history of Albania Category:Evacuations Category:March 1997 events in Europe